Ash receptacle



Oct. 18, 1955 J. H. PlcKRl-:N

ASH RECEPTACLE Filed Nov. l0, 1953 ATTORNEY United States Patent Ofice 2,720,903 Patented Oct. 18, 1955 ASH RECEPTACLE James H, Pickren, Jacksonville, Fla. Application November 10, 1953, Serial No. 391,210

4 Claims. (Cl. iSd-35) My invention pertains to an ash receptacle, and more particularly to a pocket receptacle for cigarette ashes and the like'. My invention further pertains to a combination ash receptacle, change purse, and holder for a match booklet.

An object of the invention is to provide a pocket ash receptacle of small and convenient size and shape which is adapted to inexpensive manufacture, which presents an attractive appearance, which is soft and yielding throughout, and which is readily opened with one hand and is self closing.

A specific object of the invention is to provide selfclosing means for the opening in a pocket ash receptacle without the use of springs or levers or of any rigid elements.

A further object of my invention is to provide a pocket ash receptacle of thin and flat shape, utilizing attractive liexible plastic sheet material for the exposed faces, while providing protection for the parts formed of such plastic material against damage from the heat of lighted cigarettes which may be placed within, and extinguished in, the ash receptacle.

Another specic object of my invention is to provide a small, convenient and inexpensive combination pocket ash receptacle, change purse, and match booklet holder.

The novel features which I believe to be characteristic of my invention are set forth with particularity in the appended claims. My invention itself, however, both as to its organization and method of operation, together with further objects and advantages thereof, may best be understood by reference to the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. l is a perspective view of an ash receptacle according to the invention, the receptacle being open to receive ashes;

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional View of the upper portion of the receptacle;

Fig. 3 is a horizontal sectional view of a side edge portion of the receptacle;

Fig. 4 is a horizontal sectional view similar to that of Fig. 3 detailing a modified construction of the receptacle applicable to the arrangements of Fig. l and Fig. 5;

Fig. 5 is a perspective View o f a modification of my invention, comprising a combination ash receptacle, change purse and match booklet holder; and

Fig. 6 is an end view of the modification of a match booklet held thereon.

As seenin Fig. l, the receptacle comprises a flat pouch or envelope 1 having a first body member 2 of ilexible, attractive, plastic material, such as a vinyl plastic sheet material, heat-sealed around the two side edges 3 and 4 and along the bottom edge S to an identical second body member of which only the top hemmed portion 6 is seen in Fig. l. Pressure exerted by the fingers at opposite edges of the receptacle at its upper end will cause the hem 6 of the second body member and the hem 7 of the body member 2 to bulge or spring outwardly to open the top Fig. 5 with of the device for the reception of ashesA or of the still lighted remaining portion of a spent cigarette or cigar for disposal and extinguishing thereof within the receptacle. The hems 6 and 7 are inflated and tend to remain generally straight from end to end, and, upon release of the end pressure exerted by the lingers, the hems straighten to close the top opening or mouth of the receptacle.

The arrangement and construction of the hemmed upper portions of the body members is shown in enlarged section in Fig. 2 wherein hem 7 at the upper end of body member 2 is formed by turning over the upper portion of the body member, in an inward direction, and by sealing the turned over portion back on the body member with the upper end of the lining sheet 8 interposed in the seal.

The areas indicated generally by the numerals 9 and 10, in Fig. 2, are those in which the heat seal is made to form the hems 7 and 6, respectively. The lining sheets of heat resistant material indicated in Fig. 2 are of paper-backed metal foil coated on both sides with a vinyl plastic. The layer 11 is the metal foil, the layer 12 is the paper backing, layer 13 is the vinyl plastic coating applied to the paper surface and layer 14 is the vinyl coating applied to the foil surface. The foil is shown disproportionately enlarged in thickness in the drawings to illustrate the composite layers thereof, and it will be understood that the lining sheet comprising the four layers is only a few thousandths of an inch in thickness, whereas the sheet material of which body member 2 is formed may be of considerably greater thickness, such as a few hundredths of an inch. Body member 15 is of the same material as that of body member 2, and the foil lining sheet 16 is preferably identical to that of sheet 8.

it will be apparent from Fig. 2 that the hems 6 and 7 are rounded and are inated or filled with air under apa proximately atmospheric pressure. The air within the hems is trapped because of the completely sealed hem construction. lt has been found, however, that the rounded and inflated nature of the hems is not necessarily destroyed by a slow leak, since the natural tendency of the plastic material of the body members 2 and 15 is of the plastic material of the body members 2 and 15 is to avoid sharp creasing, and` the hems form elongated cylinders which normally remain parallel and have been found to be effective to close the opening even if some leakage occurs. It is desirable that any break in the seal of the hems, however, be slight, whereby the outward bowing of the hems to open the receptacle, as shown in Fig. l, will not cause any substantial amount of the air trapped within the hems to be forced therefrom prior to release of the opening pressure. Upon release, accordingly, the inflated nature of ythe hems causes them to straighten out into the positions indicated in Fig. 2, forming generally cylindrical, parallel, touching chambers which close the top opening of the receptacle. It will be apparent that the lighted` end of a cigarette, or hot cigarette ashes, introduced into the receptacle between the outwardly bowed hems, will be deposited between the sheets of foil 8 and 16 which line the inner faces of the body members 2 and 15, respectively, and the foil serves to spread the heat by conduction and to insulate the body members against heat damage. While paper-backed plastic coated foil lining sheets are specifically shown in Fig. 2, as hereinafter' further explained in connection with Fig. 4 it has been found that lining sheets of cloth or fabric woven from glass fibers is suitable for use `in the construction, and that such glass ber fabric lining has certain advantages.

Fig. 3 shows in enlarged section a portion of the receptacle adjacent side edge 4, and discloses details of the peripheral heat sealing applicable to side edges 3 and l and bottom edge 5' of the device. Body members 2 and 15 are, as heretofore explained, lined with sheets 8 and 16 of the heat resistant material, and the sheets 8 and 16 are heat sealed to the body members at the areas i7 and 18 and are heat sealed together immediately between these areas. The heat sealing together of the inner plastic layers 14 of the respective sheets, between areas 17 and 18, has been found to be not completely secure and not to be a sufciently strong or permanent seal to permit continued use of the device over long periods without failure, and, accordingly, it is desirable to continue the body members 2 and 15 beyond the edges of the lining sheets and to seal the body members directly to each other at the area 19. Such sealing of the body members beyond the foil edges provides a neater appearance for the device. It will be understood that the heat sealed edge as shown in Fig. 3 is considerably enlarged and that the layers of the foil lining members are illustrated in a thickness out of proportion, in order to permit the layers to be distinguished in the drawing. The total breadth of the heat seal in an actual device throughout areas 17, 18 and 19 may be of the order of one-eighth of an inch, and the body members 2 and 15 in practice are pressed inwardly and meet without leaving any noticeable sp'ace at the foil edges.

A modified construction wherein the above mentioned iiber glass cloth is substituted for the metal foil lining is shown in Fig. 4, which is a sectional View similar to that of Fig. 3. The body members 2 and i5, in this modification, are lined with iiber glass cloth sheets 29 and 21, respectively, and the heat seal at the edge of the receptacle is made at the area 22. In this area, the heat, and the pressure which is so applied as to force the edges of the body members 2 and 15 together, cause the heatsoftened plastic material of the body members to impregnate completely through the glass fiber material and to form a secure joint or seal, from body member to body member impregnating through the cloth. Simultaneously with the formation of the seal, a cutting operation may be performed to sever the glass cloth and the body members at the extreme edge 23 in a manner to leave an attractive smooth edge 23. The glass cloth at edge 23 is completely embedded in the plastic body member material, or, in other words, the glass cloth is completely impregnated with the plastic material. The impregnation or embedding is sufiiciently complete that glass fibers are not visible at the edge 23 even upon very close inspection.

The use of fiber glass clothas a lining tends to make the heat seals which form the inated hems strong and leak resistant. It will be understood that, with the use of glass cloth lining sheets, the seals shown in Fig. 2 at the areas 9 and 10 will be completed with impregnation of the glass fiber cloth by the body member material, whereby the body members will be sealed back on themselves at the areas 9 and 10.

Fig. discloses a receptacle including all of the basic parts of the receptacles heretofore described but providing additional features. The device in Fig. 5 comprises a body member 2', having a hem 7', corresponding to body member 2 and hem 7 of the receptacle of Fig. l, and further comprises a separate, additional plastic sheet 24 which is heat sealed to extend across the outer face of body member 2. The member 24 has a free unsealed upper edge 25, which may be spaced a short distance below the lower edge of hem 7', and a slit 26 extending between points near the opposite side edges of sheet 24. The sheet 24 is joined to the body of the receptacle by a heat seal along its bottom and side edges, and this heat seal may be formed in one operation with the sealing together of the body members of the receptacle as explained in connection with Figs. 1 4. The sheet 24, accordingly, provides space between it and the face of body member 2', and this space is adapted to receive a coin, such as is indicated in dotted lines at 27. The coin 27, or several coins, or small pieces of paper, tickets, bus tokens, or the like, may be slipped into the small purse space at the edge 25 between sheet 24 and the body member 2. Slit Cit 26 is provided in cover sheet 24 to permit the cardboard cover 28 of a paper match booklet to be inserted under the portion of the sheet 24 which lies between slit 26 and upper edge Z5. The device of Fig. 5 is illustrated as being open to receive ashes or spent cigarettes, the hems being bowed as by the finger pressure indicated in Fig. 1. Fig. 6 is an end view of the receptacle of Fig. 5 with the top' in closed condition. lt will be understood that the upper portion of the device of Fig. l, when closed, will correspond to this view.

Fig. 6 shows the match booklet properly attached to the device of Fig. 5. In accord with the end view of Fig. 6, inflated hem 7 is formed at the upper portion of body member 2 and sheet 24 lies against the outer face of body member 2. The match booklet cover 28 extends into slit 26, and is bent down over the upper edge 25 of the sheet 24, thus to permit matches to be removed from the booklet in the normal convenient manner, and to be ignited against the usual striking strip of the booklet. Coins to be inserted in the purse formed by sheet 24 are slipped behind the fold of the booklet cover 28 to fall toward the lower portion of the purse between sheet 24 and body member 2.

While I have shown and described only certain preferred embodiments of my invention by way of illustration, many modifications will occur to those skilled in the art, and I therefore wish to have it understood that I intend, in the appended claims, to cover all such modifications as fall within the true spirit and scope of my invention.

What l claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

l. A pocket ash receptacle comprising a pair of thermoplastic synthetic resin sheet material body members of generally rectangular configuration peripherally joined by a heat seal along a bottom edge and both side edges to form an open top, flat pouch, a respective sheet of fiber glass fabric lying against and covering the inner surface of each said body member, the edges of said liber glass sheets extending into, and being embedded and impregnated by the material of said body members in said heat seal at said bottom and side edges, an upper edge portion of each said body member being folded over against the inner surface of the respective said fiber glass sheet to form a hem, said hem being secured by a heat seal of said folded portion to the respective said body member completed by impregnation through said liber glass sheet of the materials of said body member, said hems of said body members extending from one to the other of said side edges, being closed at said side edges, and being inliated to constitute elongated and normally generally cylindrical and parallel, resiliently deformable chambers, whereby said chambers comprise manually openable, automatically resiliently closable closure means for said top opening of said pouch.

2. A pocket ash receptacle comprising a pair of thermoplastic synthetic resin sheet material body members of generally rectangular configuration peripherally joined by a heat seal along a bottom edge and both side edges to form an open top, iiat pouch, a respective sheet of synthetic-resin-coated metal foil lying against and covering the inner surface of each said body member, the edges of said foil sheets extending into and being sealed by said heat seal along said bottom and side edges with said body members, an upper edge portion of each said body member being folded over against the inner surface of the respective said foil sheet to form a hem, said hems being secured by a heat seal ofl said folded portion to the inner face of the respective said foil sheet and by a contiguous, coextensive heat seal of said body member to the other face of said foil sheet, said hems of said body members extending from one to the other of said side edges, being closed at said side edges, and being iniiated to constitute elongated and normally generally cylindrical and parallel, resiliently deformable chambers, whereby said chambers comprise manually openable, automatically resiliently closable closure means for said top opening of said pouch.

3. A combination ash receptable, purse, and matchbook holder, comprising two equal, rectangular, flexible body members of a vinyl synthetic thermoplastic resin sheet material, two lining sheets of iexible heatresistant material, said body members facing one another and having said lining sheets disposed respectively to cover the inner facing surfaces thereof, said body members being joined along bottom and side edges by heat sealing, said lining sheets extending into the arca of heat sealing of said edges, the upper edge of each said body member being turned over inwardly to cover the upper edge of the respective said lining sheet and being heat sealed to form a totally sealed hem, each said hem being inflated to form, substantially, a normally straight, elongated cylinder, a third body member equal in width to the width of each of said two body members, of said vinyl sheet material, and of less height than said two body members, said third member having opposite side edges and a bottom edge heat sealed along the respective corresponding said side and bottom edges of said first two body members, the upper edge of said third member being disposed across the outer surface of one of said first two body members below said hem thereof and said third member forming with said one body member a coin purse open at said upper edge of said third member, said third member having a matchbook-cover-receiving slit parallel to and spaced below its said upper edge.

4. In combination, in a compact coin-holding smoking accessory for carrying in the pocket, two rectangular sheet plastic outer wall members and an interposed intermediate sheet plastic wall member, said intermediate member being coeXtensive with one of said outer wall members, said other outer wall member having a width dimension equal to that of said one member and a lesser height dimension, said three wall members being sealed together throughout coincident bottom and side edges thereof, a lining of heat insulating sheet material against each of the facing surfaces of said one and intermediate wall members, respectively, an inated, self-straightening respective hem sealed along the top edge of each of said one and intermediate members, said other wall member having a slit parallel to its upper edge and above its center, and a paper match booklet having a cover extending inwardly through said slit and outwardly over said upper edge of said other wall.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,652,679 Nelson Dec. 13, 1927 2,111,079 Spear et al. Mar. 15, 1938 2,587,033 Dobbs et al. Feb. 26, 1952 2,636,532 Putt Apr. 28, 1953 2,658,543 Budnick Nov. 10, 1953 

